1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus of a multiple clutch transmission including a plurality of clutches, and a multiple clutch transmission control method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a multiple clutch transmission (hereinafter also referred to simply as “transmission”) that is mounted in an automobile and is equipped with a plurality of clutches in order to make possible speedy transmission operations in the automobile, and a control apparatus that controls such a transmission (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-251456 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-308841, for example), have been known.
This transmission has a plurality of clutches installed between the engine and two input shafts and is capable of transferring or blocking the respective driving forces, and gear pairs divided into two systems (for example, odd-numbered transmission gears and even-numbered transmission gears) providing selective coupling by means of a shifter selection operation between the two input shafts and a transmission output shaft (hereinafter referred to simply as “output shaft”).
With this transmission, while power is being transferred to a gear pair of a selected transmission gear group coupled to one clutch by engaging one clutch and selected by a shifter, a neutral state can be established in which the other clutch can be maintained in an engaged state and power is not transferred to a gear pair of a transmission gear group corresponding to the other clutch. That is to say, in a state in which both clutches are engaged, power transfer can be performed from an output shaft to a driving wheel via a gear pair of desired transmission gears selected by means of a shifter selection operation.
Also, at the time of gear changing, among the plurality of clutches, the other clutch relating to a drive system of a transmission gear group that is not performing power transfer is disengaged, and then a gear pair of a transfer system having an input shaft coupled to this other clutch is selected, and the target gear is entered, after which this other clutch is engaged while the other clutch performing power transfer is disengaged. That is to say, with a conventional multiple clutch transmission, when changing from a currently selected transmission gear (also referred to as “previous gear”) to a target transmission gear (also referred to as “next gear”), changeover whereby, by means of a control apparatus, clutches are operated simultaneously so that a clutch that transfers power for the next transmission gear (next gear) is engaged while the clutch performing power transfer continues to be disengaged, is performed in a state in which gear pairs of both transfer systems are connected.